An example of a topic cluster is basically one main page that you build around a broad subject, with several related pages covering smaller subtopics and linking back to that main page. So instead of publishing content piece by piece with no real structure, you’re creating a group of pages that support each other.
In this blog post, we’ll walk through one simple step-by-step topic cluster example so you can see how that structure works in practice.
A Simple Topic Cluster Example
Sure, there are plenty of high-level explanations out there, but topic or content clusters can really be a lot easier to understand when you see them mapped out in a real-world way. So instead of staying theoretical, let’s look at a simple example of how a business might organize its content around one core topic.
From there, you can see how each step builds on the one before it.
Choose the broad topic
The first step is to choose the main subject to build the cluster around. This should be a broad topic that connects closely to what the business does, but it should also have enough depth to support multiple related pages.
For example, if you run a lawn care company, “lawn care” would make sense as a broad business blog topic. Not only does it directly tie into your services, but it also opens the door to a range of smaller subtopics, such as:
- Mowing
- Watering
- Fertilizing
- Weed control
- Seasonal maintenance
In other words, it gives you enough room to build out a cluster without drifting into unrelated content.
Create the main page
Once you’ve chosen the broad topic, the next step is to build the main page around it. This is often called the pillar page, or the central hub for the rest of the cluster.
Using our lawn care topic cluster example, the main page should give readers a clear, useful overview of the topic as a whole, touching on the main areas without going too far into the weeds on every single one.
So rather than fully explaining every single aspect of lawn care on the same page, the goal is to introduce each topic briefly and make it clear to readers and search engines that you go into them in more detail on separate pages.
And that’s really the job of the pillar page. It covers the broad topic well enough to give readers context, while also creating a natural place to connect the more specific subtopics that support it.
Find the supporting subtopics and turn them into separate pages
A good pillar page usually makes the supporting subtopics pretty easy to spot.
If your main page is about lawn care, it might briefly touch on things like mowing, watering, fertilizing, weed control, and seasonal maintenance. Those all belong on the main page at a high level, but they also open the door to more focused content.
For example, a short section on watering could easily turn into a separate page about how often to water your lawn, where you go into things like:
- Grass type
- Climate
- Time of year
- How to avoid overwatering
The goal here is to identify supporting topics that start as part of the broader topic, but also have enough depth to stand on their own.
That’s usually how you know you’ve found the right supporting subtopics. They come naturally from the main page, and they give you room to create separate content that’s actually useful instead of repetitive.
Link the pages together
Connecting everything together is what turns a group of related pages into an actual topic cluster. The pillar page should link out to the supporting pages where relevant, and the supporting pages should link back to the main page. In some cases, the supporting pages can also link to each other when there’s a clear connection.
With our lawn care topic cluster example, the main lawn care page might link to separate pages on watering, mowing, fertilizing, and weed control. Then each of those pages would link back to the main lawn care page as the broader resource. That way, the relationship between the pages is clear for both readers and search engines.
Without that kind of internal linking strategy, the content can still be related, but it won’t feel nearly as organized or intentional.
Check for gaps in the cluster
Once you have your initial pillar and supporting pages in place, the last thing you want to do here is ask yourself whether anything important is missing. For example, if your lawn care cluster is supposed to cover the basics but says nothing about aeration or seasonal lawn prep, you’ve likely found a few gaps that are worth filling.
The same goes for questions your audience is likely to have that you’re only mentioning briefly or not addressing at all. Maybe you’ve done some keyword research and found that “how to fix patchy grass” has decent search volume and could be a good fit.
At the end of the day, a strong topic cluster should feel complete. It doesn’t need to cover every possible angle right away, but it should cover the core subtopics well enough that the structure makes sense. And if there are gaps, those can give you a clear direction for what to create next instead of leaving future content up to guesswork.
Need Help Building a Topic Cluster That Makes Sense?
A topic cluster works best when the pages support each other and aren’t just published as separate ideas that happen to be related. That’s really the difference between a content strategy that feels organized and one that ends up scattered over time.
When the structure is clear from the start, it becomes a lot easier to see what your main page should cover, which subtopics deserve their own pages, and where future content can fit without overlapping or drifting off course.
If you want help mapping out a topic cluster that actually fits your site and gives you a clear direction for future content, contact MarketingPal.io about our Topical Authority Content Plans. They’re built to help you organize your content around the right topics so you’re not just publishing more, but building something that makes sense.
